NLCS: Better news for Craig, GM says

ST. LOUIS – Slugger Allen Craig’s availability for the World Series, should the St. Louis Cardinals advance there, looked more encouraging Friday. He has been cleared to do more live work, general manager John Mozeliak said.

“That’s why it’s encouraging,” Mozeliak said. “We still have to be smart about it. The doctor feels like he’s in a pretty good place, and he’s at a stage where he feels he can (expand) this out.”

Craig has been a run-producer throughout his career and was batting .315 with 97 RBIs before suffering a left foot injury late in the season. He has not played since Sept. 4.

His injury cleared the way for left-handed slugger Matt Adams, who has hit 17 home runs this year and was 6-for-19 with a two-run home run in the division series.

Mozeliak emphasized his own optimism hasn’t changed dramatically since learning of Craig’s prognosis on Friday. He acknowledged that the worry would be the amount of time off for Craig. In other words, he’d be rusty returning, although the news comes at the start – not the back end – of a week-long, seven-game league championship series.

The World Series starts Oct. 23.

“The biggest concern is that he doesn’t have a setback medically,” Mozeliak said. “But then also, as far as baseball goes, where is he going to be as far as being effective?”

“If we got his bat back,” Mozeliak added, “that would be helpful.”

About Kary Booher

Kary Booher covers the Springfield Cardinals and small colleges for the News-Leader. A native of southern Kansas, he is a graduate (and former sports editor of student newspapers) of Cowley County (Kan.) Community College and Oklahoma State University. You also may have read his work on the sports pages in Topeka and Pittsburg in Kansas and Jackson, Tenn., or once saw him in his youth water-skiing on Table Rock Lake near the Kimberling City bridge.